Second Chance
by Beyond the Bounds-Zenithos
Summary: A manga titled Love Hina?What’s the meaning behind the mysterious manga that Keitaro found?Why does it hold so many dark prophecies?As things fall apart,Keitaro embarks on a journey alongside a mysterious newfound companion to earn himself a second chance
1. Chapter 1

Second Chance

Chp1: Things Fall Apart

I'm seriously going overboard with new stories here, but the ideas keep coming and putting them off is just impossible. I'm not planning on abandoning on any of my other stories. You have my word on that.

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina. Akamatsu Ken's the genius behind it.

Reviews are highly appreciated. Also, should you have the time, please check out my other Love Hina fanfics. Thank you, and please enjoy.

A manga titled Love Hina? What's that all about? What's the meaning behind the mysterious manga that Keitaro found? Why does it hold so many dark prophecies? And why are they coming true? As things fall apart, Keitaro embarks on a journey alongside a mysterious new companion to earn himself a second chance…

Pre-read by Apocalypsealchemist. Thanks a lot dude.

* * *

"Hinata-chan?" Naru looked around the side of the kitchen door. 

"Hai, Naru-sempai?" A pale-blonde haired girl smiled as she looked around at her brown haired friend. "I'm guessing you're wondering what's for lunch, ne?" She was stirring something that was gently bubbling in a large pot on the stove. "It'll be done in a moment…it's cream stew…I added a few secret ingredients to the batch today." She giggled as she took out a notepad from the front pocket of her apron.

"Seriously, Hinata-chan…where on earth did you learn how to cook like that?" Naru walked into the kitchen and looked down at the cream stew. "We should be paying you for staying here in Hinata Sou…"

"Oh…She's cooking today?" Mitsune looked in from the doorway. Hinata shrank slightly under her stare.

"Yeah…it certainly looks good…" Naru took a deep breath of the flagrant creamy smell.

"Right…" Mitsune said in an offhand manner while subjecting the kitchen to close scrutiny. "…Right…" She nodded at Hinata, who shrunk even further, before leaving.

"Hinata-chan!" Keitaro shouted, coming down the stairs. "Come! You'll be late for class!"

"Hai, sempai!" Hinata called back, wiping her wet hands on her apron as she left the kitchen. "Anou…umm…but what about lunch?"

"Err…your classes start a bit early today…tell you what, we'll have lunch together afterwards. Err…Narusegawa, can you please take care of that." Keitaro said, gesturing at the cream stew while picking up a violin case.

"She has a lot of extra classes, doesn't she?" Naru commented, picking up the soup ladle.

"Hurry, Hinata-chan." Keitaro said, giving his wristwatch a worried look.

"Hai, sempai." Hinata hung her apron by the kitchen door before running to join her sempai. "Oh…chutto matte, I forgot…" She ran back to the living room.

"Hinata-chan?" Keitaro peeked around the corner of the verandah to see what the young junior high-schooler was up to.

"Sempai…" Hinata had her hands held together by her chest in prayer. Before her was a small, humble altar that bore a small photograph and an incense stand, as well as two flower vases and the usual stand bearing the deceased's name. "Please…" She murmured quietly in prayer. "…please watch over Keitaro-sempai today..." The figure in the photograph smiled back at her serenely.

"She still prays to her everyday, doesn't she?" Haruka said, walking into the verandah, newspaper in one hand and cigarette in the other.

"Yes, she still does…" Keitaro sighed, kicking off his shoes and walking into the living room. He stops beside Hinata and claps his hands together in prayer. They both maintained an air of respectful quietness for a while before Haruka coughs dryly.

"Ehem…excuse me, but…you guys are already running late for the train as it is…" Haruka said. Keitaro and Hinata both look back at her.

"Eh…?" Keitaro looks down at his watch. He instantly grabbed Hinata by the arm and hightailed it out Hinata-Sou. "WE'RE FRIKIN' LATE!" His screams echoed around the hills of Hinata Sou, raising a storm of birds over the Kanagawa region.

"Sigh…" Haruka sighs, wathing the two disappear in a cloud of smoke over the stairs in front of Hinata Sou. She turns to the altar and closes her eyes. "He still misses you, you know…everyone still does." Haruka squatted in front of the altar and wiped a bit of dust off the photo frame.

"It seemed like just yesterday she was wearing that apron…" Naru whispered, kneeling beside Haruka. "I can't believe it's already been 6 months…"

"Hinata-chan…how's your arm?" Keitaro asked, gesturing at Hinata's arm. Outside the train's window beside them the scenery flashed by.

"It's…It's all right, s…sempai." Hinata stammered, suddenly turning red. "See, it's fine…" She waved her right arm around a bit in an effort to show her sempai how well it was.

"Ok, just checking…no need to get over-excited like that." Keitaro smiled. "Everything's all right, though, right?"

"H…hai, sempai…" Hinata blushed an even deeper red. Keitaro didn't seem to notice.

"You didn't look too good back at the station…you should tell me whenever you're feeling ill." He said, taking out a newspaper.

"Hai, Sempai."

"Anyway…you'd better pay attention to that man sitting at the other end of the carriage…" Keitaro said, opening his newspaper.

"H…hai…wakarimashita…" Hinata said, shifting her vision to the person Keitaro mentioned out of the corner of her eye. It was a bald man wearing a crisp black suit and a pair of shades. Apparently he was talking to a person sitting opposite him in the train.

"…anything?" Keitaro asked.

"They're…speaking about the weather…" Hinata said, lifting some hair by her ears.

"The weather…now that's odd…" Keitaro said. "Anyway…be ready…" He turned the page.

"H…hai…wakarimashita…" Hinata tightened the grip around her violin case's strap. The screech of the breaks filled their ears as they approached the next station. People miled around the train as the PA announced the train's arrival. "Ulp…" She gulped as she looked outside the window at the crowd of people.

"Still can't handle crowds, Hinata-chan?" Keitaro asked, lowering his newspaper. "Don't worry…you'll get used to it…eh? Hinata-chan?" Keitaro reached out for her as she swooned slightly.

"It's…bright…" Hinata whispered, falling sideways into Keitaro.

"Hinata-chan!" Keitaro's worried voice were the last things she heard as everything faded into bright white.

* * *

6 months ago… 

"Man…that was one long class…" Keitaro said, stretching as he walked down the desolate street. The sun was shining bright overhead, a vestige of the hot summers that had just gone by. It was still a long way till his next crack at the Toudai entrance exams. It seemed like an eternity since he had failed the last one. Things have changed so much since then. He smiled as he reminisced, his head filled with the sweet memories of the time he had spent in Hinata Sou so far.

Before long he found himself down a street he had never come across. He looked around as he snapped out of his daydream and tried to get a bearing. "Well…I did come down that way…huh?" Even the way back was completely unrecognizable. Strangely, all the stores down this particular street where closed. "That's strange…today's a working day…and it's open hours too…what's up?" He walked towards a small store that provided a bit of shade from the sun, thinking he'd just wait until someone came whom he could ask for directions.

"Hmmm?" he noticed something on the door of the small store. It was the sign saying that the store was open for business. "Hey, this one says it's open." He tried the door. "It is open…"

He cautiously entered the gloaming darkness within. The blinds were drawn across the store's front windows, causing the sunlight to filter eerily into the darkened store. Before him were rows upon rows of books. He walked up to one of the shelves and pulled out a random book out of curiosity. "Must be a book store…" He opened the book that seemed to be dusty and slightly yellowed with age. "Oh…it's an old manga… 'Soul Requiem' what an odd title…this must be one of those second hand manga stores…you don't see many of them these days." He placed the book back in its place in the shelf.

He wandered deeper into the store as he searched around for the store keeper. He didn't seem to be behind the counter. He took a quick look behind the counter just to make sure he or she hadn't dozed off. Nope, no luck. Just as he was about to look elsewhere, he noticed something colourful in one of the shelves under the counter. It was placed in a box marked 'obsolete merchandise-to be disposed'. He looked about before reaching out for the object. It was yet another manga…he brushed some dust off the cover to make out the title.

The title was 'Love Hina'. Apparently it was volume 1. "Must be one of those long winded romance series…I'm guessing it's just another romance comedy." Keitaro decided. The cover bore the picture of a group of girls posing in front of what looked like…an old inn. "Hey…that looks a lot like…the Hinata Sou…and these people…hmm…"

He scanned through a few pages…before going backwards a bit and scanning through a bit slower…before fixing his glasses and squinting at the pages carefully.

He lowered the book and looked around him once again. There wasn't as much as the sound of air moving in the entire store. He looked back down at the book and inspected the cover. Apparently it was written by…no one. Keitaro flipped the book around, searching for the author's name, but there was none.

He opened the book once more. He just couldn't believe his eyes. He flipped through a few more pages just to make sure. Yes, it had to be…it couldn't be just a coincidence. The names were exact. The events were exact, even the dialogs. Though there were a number of lengthy periods of time skipped, the happenings in the story were unmistakable.

'Love Hina' was the story of a ronin who had failed his Tokyo-U entrance exams twice in a row…a lucky yet unlucky man who had inherited an all-girls-dorm-turned-inn…a man named Urashima Keitaro.

He flipped through a few more pages until he got even closer to his current time frame. He gasped slightly as he reached the events of the day before…the day he had walked Shinobu to the train station…. He was drawing closer to the present…He gulped as he turned the page…there it was…it was a manga version of him losing his way in a street and wondering into a second hand bookstore…there was him, opening up the book…THIS book…from behind the counter…and there was him, surprised with what he found in the book.

"This…this is unreal…" Keitaro looked around once again, just to make sure it wasn't some practical joke. Then again, if it was, it was a pretty complicated one to stage. There seemed to be a few more pages before the end of the book. He took a deep breath and opened the next page…if it WAS his story, then the following pages would contain his future…

* * *

"Hahahaha…yeah…nothing like that could possible happen, right? I mean, seriously. Hahahahaha…" Keitaro laughed, though slightly nervously, as he finally reached the security of the inn's living room. He had ran like the devil himself was chasing him right after opening the last few pages, dropping the book in the store in his horror. 

He had run…ran as far as he can, until he finally reached an area he actually recognized. He didn't know where the store was, or how to get there, but he didn't care. As far as he was concerned, he never wanted to set foot in it ever again. "Hahaha…I must've been hallucinating…yeah, that's it. The sun must've been hotter than I thought…hahaha…I guess summer IS still in the air…" He tried to reassure himself.

"Keitaro, phone call." A voice called from the direction of the lobby reception desk. It was Mitsune, holding up the receiver. "It's Shinobu's parents…they wanted to speak to you…they said it's urgent..."

Keitaro fell to his knees. He felt all the blood drain from his face in pure shock. It couldn't be…it just couldn't be…

"Yo…Keitaro?" Mitsune asked, suddenly concerned with the usually durable manager.

* * *

"Hey…Keitaro? You ok?" Naru whispered, gently touching his shoulder. 

"You…you wouldn't believe it…Naru…you wouldn't believe it if I told you…" Keitaro whispered. His voice was a little strained from choking back the tears. Before them, the high walls of the church extended off towards the high altar on the end, silhouetted against the dimly lit stained glass window at the end. In the stained glass window was an impression of an angel, blanketed by rays of celestial light.

"I know…I couldn't believe it myself…" Naru whispered again. There was an oppressive hush over the entire church. "Come…we have one last thing we've got to do…" She offered a hand to Keitaro. "Come on now…let's…let's say…goodbye…" tears welled up in her eyes as her lips started to quiver. "Kei…Keitaro!" She suddenly hugged Keitaro tightly. "Why! WHY!" She screamed. Keitaro merely sat silently, watching the top of Naru's head as she buried herself in his chest. It was too much…just too much…

* * *

'They said that you can judge a person's worth by how the number of people attending their funeral. Well…if that's the case, Shinobu's funeral definitely doesn't do her justice.' 

'It was a raining quite heavily…but the handful of people that attended the funeral were already soaked enough with tears not to notice. In front of her new resting place stood her parents, both looking dark and distant, all past hostilities forgotten, united in their sorrow. The coffin we had borne all the way from the church was probably the heaviest load all of us ever had to bear…me, Aunt Haruka, Naru, Mitsune, Motoko, Suu, and Mutsumi…it was the probably the last decent thing we could do for her. Sarah, too small to bear the coffin, had resigned herself to following us from behind.

'The quiet funeral dirge was drowned out by the roar of the storm above as we lowered the coffin into its eternal resting place. The priest gave one final sermon before we said our final goodbyes. We never said any proper goodbyes…never saw her in her final moments…we never even saw her body. They told us the terrorist attack didn't leave much behind…it was probably quick and painless…but the fact that she was gone was more painful than anything.'

'Needless to say, everyone was crushed to the core. Naru and Mitsune were crying incessantly. Even the usually proud and strong Motoko showed signs of tears. The ever cheerful Suu was probably the one affected the worst…she hadn't spoken…or even cried…her eyes had been blank and empty for the past few days…with nothing staring out of them. Her perpetual state of utter shock was probably only comparable to Shinobu's best and only school friend, who had also come. Her parents had attended as well, mostly just to keep their daughter from collapsing.'

'After the service was over, we stood by her grave for what seemed like an eternity. Naru had brought Shinobu's favourite teddy bear along. She kneeled down and placed it by the tombstone, a nice small marble one, bearing the words 'Shinobu Maehara, 1986-1999, 'back to whence the light shines freely doth her spirit returns. May she eternally rest in peace.' The small alien doll I had won for her at the summer carnival had been placed inside the coffin along with her remains. Her parents had insisted on it, for some reason.'

"I….I can't believe…she's gone…" Naru sobbed. "She was…she was such an angel…I…I…"

"I…I said so many nasty things to her just before she left…I should've…I should've been nicer to her…" Mitsune shouted, tears streaming down her face.

"She's…where she deserves to be now…a far better place…better than this hell hole…" Motoko sniffled. "Finally…where she belongs…where nobody can hurt her again…"

"She…she was the nicest person to ever live…" Sarah fell to her knees.

Suu merely stared at the tombstone, her eyes as dark and as empty as ever. There were no signs of tears, no sniffles, no quivering of the lips…Suu was devoid of any traces of emotions.

'They said…during the attack, she was unharmed after the first blast…but she had run in to help a child…it was the second blast that took her…they told us the child had survived with minor wounds, thanks to Shinobu shielding her…the child had also come to the funeral, along with her thankful and equally grieved parents.'

"Come now, people…Shinobu wouldn't be able to rest at all with you people making a ruckus like that." Haruka said, though her voice was more emotionless than ever. She hadn't shown any obvious signs of emotions, but her eyes had turned cold and hard, filled with what could only be raging emotions.

'She pulled everyone away…we finally left Shinobu behind…alone in the gathering darkness. Life…would never be the same again…'

* * *

A month later… 

"Congratulations, Urashima-san, you're accepted." The tall, messy blonde haired European man said, in perfect Japanese. He gave Keitaro a brisk smile as he shook Keitaro's hand. "We've selected you from over 200 applicants. Please note that."

"Th…Thank you. You have no idea how much it means to me." Keitaro said, smiling back.

"All right then…Aika." The man said, gesturing at his secretary.

"Yes, Mr. Raphael?"

"Please take notes." The man said. "Ok then, Urashima-san. We'll just wrap up the last of the application processes and we can send you home. What are your preferences in girls, Urashima-san?"

"Err…excuse me, sir?" Keitaro was taken by surprise by the sudden and unusual question. He didn't see how it had anything to do with his job…then again, all the advertisement had said was 'Smart and responsible man above 18 years old needed. Flexible hours and good pay. Martial arts capabilities and/or good physical strength required.'

"Ok…allow me to rephrase this slightly, so no misunderstandings would occur…if you were to wish for the perfect little sister, what kind of person would you like her to be, appearance wise? I mean, as in hair colour, eye colour, face, and so on." The man asked, resting his chin on his hands as he watched Keitaro's uneasy expression.

"Sir…err…what exactly…?" Keitaro started to ask.

"Just answer the question, Urashima, truthfully and honestly." The man said, looking straight at him.

"Err…umm…" Keitaro scratched the back of his head. "Well…uhh…probably long hair…" He watched uneasily as the secretary promptly noted it down. 'What the heck?' he thought. But he thought it was probably best to go the full nine yards, seeing as he had already won the job anyway. He pictured the face of a cute anime character he had seen recently. "Umm…pale blonde hair, probably…bright blue eyes…"

"Right. What about the body? Height, skin colour, and such?" The man asked.

"Huh?" Keitaro was seriously taken by surprise by the bizarre questions…and why was he asking about his ideal 'little sister'…it seriously didn't make sense. "Uhh…well…if it's a little sister…then I guess…err…she should look like one…"

"I'm taking that as 'short', right?" The man half asked, half stated. "about 1.4 metres is all right, isn't it?" The man asked.

"Uhh…uh…yeah…" Keitaro stammered… 'how can this man act so calm while talking about abnormal things like this?' he thought, trying to keep a straight face.

"Well then …you've probably got someone around 12 years of age in mind, right?" The man asked.

"Eh? Um…yeah, that's ok…and err…fair skin, maybe?" Keitaro started to blush.

"Perfect. Just perfect." The man nodded. "Very well…come back next Friday…we'll discuss your job details then. Now, before you leave…" The secretary handed him a document. "…Please sign this."

"Excuse me…but what is this?" Keitaro asked, looking over the document. The company's emblem, along with its name 'Social Welfare Agency-International' was printed across the top.

"It's your job contract. For now, it's a contract for the following one month, your trial period. Should things go well, then we'll extend your contract indefinitely." The man explained. "Also, there is a clause regarding secrecy. By signing that contract, you agree to keep all your activities as an employee of this agency a secret."

"Huh? Oh…but…" Keitaro hesitated for a moment, suddenly unsure whether or not he wanted to be involved in a company with such suspicious working conditions. But he could see that the starting bonus and monthly pay was not bad, and that there were plenty of benefits offered, including medical insurance, paid expenses, and many other things. The Hinata-Sou could definitely use more money. He read over the entire contract and searched the edges for fine script before finally signing it.

"There. That's settled." The man immediately whisked the contract away and got up. "Welcome aboard, Urashima-san. Remember, come back next Friday. You can collect your signing bonus on your way out. Aika, please see to that." He shook Keitaro's hand again and led him by the shoulder to the door before leaving him and the secretary outside in the brightly lit corridor.

"Errr…busy man, isn't he?" Keitaro remarked to break the silence.

"You have no idea." The secretary said, leading him down the corridor.

* * *

When he got home about half an hour later (luckily, his new job wasn't too far away), Keitaro sighed. He walked in and looked in on the empty kitchen…he seriously missed seeing Shinobu there, in her usual apron with her cute warm smile on. It's been a month, but it felt like an eternity. Suu had taken to visiting the graveyard everyday ever since…she's been just as lifeless all month as she had been at the funeral. 

Motoko and Naru, meanwhile, had decided to go home for some time. Keitaro suspected they just wanted to get away for a while. Mitsune, meanwhile, had gone off on a long trip, probably for the same reason. Suu normally came home at night, skipping dinner all together and going straight to bed. Sarah's taken to staying out most days, even staying over at her friends' homes as often as possible. Only Mutsumi and Haruka ever came during the day, usually during their lunch breaks. Keitaro had tried to endure staying in during the day by himself, but after only a few days it had become seriously unendurable. In the end he had resigned himself to studying at the coffee house, taking advantage of Mutsumi and Haruka's company.

Life had become rather dreary in Hinata Sou. The halls were filled with the memories of Shinobu-chan. Shinobu and her broom and mop had covered every inch of the inn…but that was in the past. Now the dust had settled back again with a vengeance. Keitaro walked down the empty halls until he reached the old room…room 201. He slid the sliding door open slowly, as if afraid to disturb someone resting. The room was dark…darker than usual, without its usual air of humble festiveness. All the cheerful dolls and ornaments had been packed away, along with all her other miscellaneous belongings. Even her small desk and bed had been removed. It was now bare and lifeless.

Keitaro sighed as he slid the door shut again. "Shinobu-chan…I guess we're all selfish…wishing you were here, still alive…you're probably far happier now, somewhere warm and bright…" He turned away and trudged down the empty corridor back towards his room, which was a short yet painful walk away from Shinobu's.

The light fell upon a messy floor as Keitaro turned on the lights in his room. Every inch of flat surface in the room was covered in piles and piles of mangas, manga and anime review magazines, manga order lists from all over Japan, manga directories from all the manga stores in Japan…basically everything to do with manga. The walls were plastered with posters, manga clippings, and a number of maps with the possible locations of the old store circled with red markers.

He just had to find that store…he just had to find that book, as well as all the other volumes…they could probably shed more light on everything…

The inn was even more depressing during the night than during the day, but Keitaro had decided that abandoning Hinata Sou would be the last thing he'd do. Though he did try to get away as much as possible, he always returned, mostly for the sake of the remaining tenants.

What if he hadn't opened that book? What if he hadn't entered that store? Would Shinobu still be alive now? Would she have left that station before the terrorists blew it up? Would the terrorist attack occur anyway? Would things be different now? He had to know. And he felt all the answers were within that mysterious manga.

There was no way he could tell anyone else…for one thing, he had left the proof back in that mysterious accursed store. Moreover, volume 1 had only gone as far as him receiving the phone call. To anyone else, it was just a history book. But to him, it had been a premonition. And now…it was gone…

* * *

"Ara…How's the new job, Keitarou-kun?" Mutsumi asked with a smile. She and Haruka had started eating meals in the Hinata Sou daily in a valiant attempt at filling up the emptiness. They were all quietly eating dinner around the usual table. Haruka had gone up and dragged Suu down to the dining table where she merely sat and stared blankly at all the banana based food Mutsumi and Keitaro had (cunningly) cooked up for her. 

"Hey, nephew, Mutsumi-san's asking you a question." Haruka nudged Keitaro, who was starting blankly at the opposite wall, his chopsticks hovering between his mouth and his bowl.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Mutsumi-san. I was spacing out again." Keitaro laughed mirthlessly.

"Ara…That's ok, Keitaro-kun." Mutsumi smiled understandingly. "I was just asking, how was your new job?"

"Well, it's ok, actually. They've given me a two week vacation and a signing bonus too." Keitaro said, getting back to eating.

"Well…that certainly sounds like a convenient job…a little too convenient, actually. What kind of job lets the employee take a holiday right after they sign up?" Haruka asked, picking up her bowl of salad. "Suu-chan, if you don't eat that soon, someone else will."

Suu didn't seem to hear. In fact, no one seemed to have been able to get through to her for weeks. The fact that all the yummy-looking banana cuisines lined up in front of her didn't even earn them a flicker of response was worrying everyone.

Sarah on the other hand was playing with her food, casually flicking around a meatball with her fork. There was a certain oppressive air around the table…Keitaro was starting to shudder out of frustration. He finally stood up and slammed his fists on the table.

"Keitaro?" Haruka asked, slightly surprised at Keitaro's sudden show of emotions.

"Ok, I've had it. Come on, let's all go somewhere. I'll go borrow Seta's car and we can all go down to the lake or something. Come on!" Keitaro shouted.

"Not a bad idea, I agree." Haruka said. "Mutsumi? Sarah? Suu?"

"Ara, nice idea. Picnic! Sake!" Mutsumi said happily, clapping her hands together.

"ummm…" Sarah looked down at her food. "…no thanks…"

Suu, meanwhile, stood up, bowed slightly in thanks, and left the room.

"Sigh…it's no use, Keitaro." Haruka sighed, resting her chin on her hand.

"Ara…" Even Mutsumi's usual cheerful air had dissipated, leaving behind an atmosphere of forced resignation.

"…" Keitaro sat back down and slowly picked up his chopsticks. "It's no use…is it? Trying to forget her is impossible…"

* * *

"Where is this place?" Keitaro found himself in what seemed to be a dark, shaking corridor. His head felt light and cloudy, as if swayed by sleepiness. The floor constantly shook and rattled underneath him, threatening to throw him off balance at any moment. On his right side was a long gallery of windows. On the other were a row of doors. The only light illuminating the corridors streamed in through the glazed windows of the doors. 

He ventured a peek outside the windows on his right. All he saw was a dark foggy landscape without any clear distinctions between earth and sky. Snow and winds howled across the glass and disappeared into the fog. He looked sideways slightly and saw a long procession of carriages. A stream of smoke rose from the front of the procession …so he was on a train.

But why a train?

He jumped slightly as he felt a tap on his shoulder. "Excuse me, sir, but are you a passenger? We're having a ticket inspection now so I advise you to return to your seat, sir." It was a man in a conductor's uniform, a ticket clipper in one hand.

"I…I'm sorry…" Keitaro stammered. "Err…I don't know how I got here… …umm…I don't even have a ticket, so…err…can I just buy one off you?"

"Ah…I see…you're just here to see someone off, aren't you?" The conductor asked. "You won't have to buy a ticket…I don't think you'd be able to afford one at the moment anyway." The conductor smiled, touching his hat. Keitaro decided to let that last remark slide. He was on alien soil anyway. It wouldn't be wise to get angry at complete strangers in such places. "Well, good day to you sir. Better make sure you make the most of your time here. Whoever you're seeing off, you won't be meeting them again anytime soon." The conductor walked on past Keitaro, and opened one of the doors. "Excuse me, ticket inspection. Ah…a new passenger. Can you please show me your ticket?"

"Anou…umm…I don't have one…I don't even know how long I've been sitting here…" a small timid voice said from inside the booth. Keitaro started to walk along the corridor, wondering what he was doing there.

"Well, the price for riding this train is your Life." The conductor said. Keitaro froze upon hearing the conductor's words. He slowly turned around.

"M…my life?" The voice asked, seemingly nervous.

"Yes…tell me, what kind of life have you led?" The conductor asked.

"Anou…my life…I…I've been running…running away mostly…running away from my parents…from my past …" The voice sighed. "I don't know… I suppose…I was always looking for a purpose to my life…but…in the end it felt a bit worthless…I'm sorry…anou…that's all I can remember…"

"Ah…it must have been hard…" The conductor seemed to lean into the booth a bit. He drew back again holding what looked like a photograph. He smiled. "How warm…but I can see you've led a really difficult and painful life…

"But…I think I did find my purpose in the end…I guess I'm glad…I have no regrets." The voice from within the booth said, with a bit more confidence.

"I see…well, don't worry. You've pushed yourself hard but the world will continue turning, you know. We're heading for a nice place…you can find peace and quiet there." The conductor said, touching his hat as he leaned back in to return the photograph. He shut the door and walked on. He stopped by Keitaro for a moment. "Have you met the one you're seeing off? Remember, this is your last chance to see him or her." He said. Keitaro nodded. The man walked on and disappeared into the next carriage. Keitaro, meanwhile, sneaked up to the booth door and pressed himself against the wall.

"I guess…the next stop's the last stop…the end of the story…my story…but the world will keep on turning, right? Everyone?" The small, sad voice said from within. "The end…But at least…I can rest till we get there…"

"…are you really satisfied?" Another voice asked.

"Anou…Y…yes…I am…definitely. I don't have any regrets."

"Are you sure?" The other voice asked again. Keitaro recognized it as a girl's voice. "Aren't you still running away?"

"No…I…I…"

"Then tell me this…why are you have you been looking out the window all this time?"

"Because…because…" the small timid voice became even smaller, before a few scuffling sounds came from within the booth. The door suddenly slid open as a small figure in white dashed out into the dark corridor. It crashed headlong into Keitaro, sending them both towards the floor.

"Anou…excuse me. I'm sorry….I'm…I'm in a hurry…" a voice came from the small figure as it scrabbled back into a standing position. A few flecks of water fell on Keitaro as the figure struggled to rise. Keitaro saw a glimpse of dark blue hair as the figure ran towards the back of the train. A dark figure appeared at the opening of the booth and watched as the figure in white ran headlong down the corridor into the adjoining carriage.

Keitaro immediately jumped to his feet and ran after the figure. Something within told him he had to go…he had to follow this person. They ran past row upon rows of booths until they finally reached the caboose at the end of the train. The figure leaned on the railing at the end of the train and looked back at the tracks that spanned backwards from under the train, away into the dark obscurity of the fog.

"I…I…I have to go back…I can't die yet…EVERYONE! I'M GOING BACK!" the figure shouted into the night.

"Decided to go back already?" Another girl's voice asked. The figure turned around to face the source of the voice. Someone dressed completely in black passed by Keitaro and headed for the door to the back of the caboose. A stream of almost pure white hair followed in the figure's wake.

"Y…yes…" The figure in white said, nodding. "Yes…it was hard and difficult out there…but I've got to go back…"

"The way back is obscured by thick black darkness…are you ready for that trip?" A black sleeved arm pointed out at the darkness unfolding behind the train. The figure in white followed the stranger's finger and looked out at the darkness.

"Umm…yes…I've got to go…" The figure in white nodded, holding both fists close to her heart in determination.

"Then you might as well come with me…I feel…like going for a long trip…" The figure in black offered a hand to the figure in white. Everything flashed bright.

* * *

"Huh?" the ceiling was lit up by a warm golden glow. Keitaro blinked up at it before rising into a sitting position and clutching his head with one hand. "What…what was that?" Keitaro wondered aloud. He raised the other pajama clad arm and looked at his hand. "That felt…a bit unreal…who were those people?" The details of the dream he just had were trickling away faster than he could hold onto them. 

But there was one image that he could still remember…

It was the tearful face of the figure who had slammed into him…

There was no mistake about it…it was her…

Keitaro struggled onto his feet. That manga…he just had to find it…

* * *

Two weeks later… 

Keitaro was anxious to start working. The signing bonus had been spent within the first few hours of him arriving back at Hinata sou to cover maintenance expenses and many other things. Not only that, he wanted any reason just to stay away from Hinata Sou. The depressing atmosphere left behind by Shinobu's absence was growing worse by the day.

After a short train ride, he finally found himself back at the tall four storied building a distance outside Tokyo. The agency's branch office was a huge complex enclosed by high walls. Well, as far as Keitaro knew, it was a branch office. He had no idea where the HQ was. Security seemed to be pretty tight for an agency that was supposed to be a public welfare agency.

He had come wearing casual clothes, as his new boss had told him to the week before. He decided a pair of jeans a black sweater counted as casual. He took a deep breath and headed straight for the front door.

"Ah, welcome, Urashima-san." Aika the secretary greeted him at the door. "Mr. Raphael is expecting you." She led him down the corridors.

"Err…we're not going to his office?" Keitaro suddenly asked, realizing they were heading in a completely different direction.

"We're going to the medical wing, Urashima-san. Mr. Raphael had asked that you be taken there upon arrival." The secretary said. "Here we are." She said, pushing open a heavy glass door.

"Ah…you're here." Mr. Raphael, his new boss, said as he noticed him. He turned back and signed something on a clipboard a nurse was holding up before striding over to Keitaro. "Right, let's get to work, shall we?" He said, opening the door to one of the wards. "Here we are."

Keitaro walked in and took in the room slowly. It could be some sort of test so he tried to be ready for anything they might throw at him. A warm gentle light streamed through the room's large windows. The room was comfortably furnished. Along one side, for some strange reason Keitaro couldn't comprehend, was a large long mirror that extended down one side of the room. Reflected in it was one of the room's main features, the large hospital bed on one side, taking up almost the entire room. In it, under the blankets, Keitaro noticed, was a small figure.

"Well, there's your job." The man said, gesturing at the figure. Keitaro took a few steps forward, before recoiling in shock. It was a young, fair-skinned, pale-blonde-long-haired girl.

* * *

To be continued... 

Once again, I want to apologize for adding so many stories. I just wanted to set down this particular idea. I might have to put it aside for awhile as I finish the others first. Sorry. Anyway, thanks for reading. Your reviews are highly appreciated.

Also, the update for 'Forevermore' will be up very soon. The update for 'Love Hina Alternative' and 'Soul Requiem' will follow right after. As for 'New Mobile Suit Gundam Hina Eternity', 'Love Hina Children of the Exodus', and 'Final Hina Fantasy', expect delays as I believe nobody's interested in an update anyway (somebody tell me if anyone's interested).

Preview for 'Forevermore's upcoming chapter 3!

**This summer… **

"But…I promise…I'll be the one to protect Kei-kun…always…"

"Hehe…that's my little daughter…but give your brother a chance once in a while, ok?"

**More Battles will be fought… **

"LIAR!" Shinobu screamed as she lunged forwards, katana raised.

**The Heir to the Urashima-ryu must redefine… **

She…died…she died because she tried to protect me…she protected me because I couldn't protect myself…

**The Way… **

"Hey…you guys seem familiar…" Keitaro moaned.

"Hell yeah…I'm your buddy…Haitani…" Said one of the bodies.

"And your other buddy, Shirai…" Moaned another.

**Of the samurai… **

"Hey…it seems you're not the only girl around…"

"No shit, they sent you."

**And by the way… **

"Man…Tsu-chan certainly is the strongest of her clan…but at times she could really be clueless…"

**Tsuroko finally made it to ** **Tokyo****… **

"Oro…which train is it…?" Tsuroko wondered

**Errr…did she? **

**Coming soon, only on fanfiction (dot) net **

Preview for Soul Requiem's upcoming new chapter!

**This Summer… **

**More truths are uncovered… **

"We'll be together forever, right?"

"That's a promise, Motoko-chan…"

**More Mysterious Allies are found… **

"Hey…look up in the sky…"

"It's a bird…"

"Nah, it's a plane."

"Come on, someone hurry up and say 'It's Superman!'"

"No, it's almost definitely a half-breed shinmei-ryu swordswoman with wings"

"errr…how do you know?"

"Lucky guess?"

**More enemies encountered… **

"Is it just me…or do I sense hostility? Oooh…sharp knives…"

'Please…just let me kill this retard first. I'll take care of that card master after."

**And most definitely, more snow… **

"Hey, is it always just snow, snow, snow…it's getting boring…"

SCREECH

"Not only snow…"

"Great, you've just jinxed this entire journey…RUN"

**Coming Soon, only on Fanfiction (dot) net **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Home for Her

In this chapter and the following one or two chapters, I'll be explaining what happened in the 6 months between the time Keitaro first met Hinata and the present day at the beginning of the story. Sorry for the time confusions I've been causing everyone. I have a tendency to make all these flashback scenes.

Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina.

Thanks for all the supportive reviews. I really appreciate them.

By the way, all the terrorists featured in this story are left-wing-activists, not religious fundamentalists. I have no intention of bringing any sensitive world affairs into this.

---------------------

Present day…

'My name is…Hinata. This is…Hinata Sou. I live here with…my brother, Urashima Keitaro…whom I call Keitaro-sempai. I've lived here for…5 months. I can't remember anything before that…'

She blinked drowsily as she stared blankly at the wall. Her room, room 201, was still a bit bare. Her violin case stood on one side. The hinges seemed to have come off for some reason. A book case stood on one end, though it was still only half filled with books. Her desk stood right beside it, neat and clear save a book and a pen. Beside her, looking up at her, was a strange-looking drooling alien doll. It wasn't the cutest of dolls, but Hinata treasured it nonetheless.

She stretched as she swung her legs over her bed, scratching her head as she slipped on her slippers. Within a minute she was out in the bare cold corridor, her bath things under one arm, a stifled yawn in the other.

"This is Nichiuri News, bringing you the top of todays headlines." The television set downstairs was on. "Yesterday, one of the senior leaders of the left-wing political terrorist group, Takano Ryuuji, was finally caught after months of police investigations. He was found tied up along with members of his cell in an abandoned train yard. Police claims an anonymous phone call had lead them to the round-up." Hinata descended the stairs just in time to see a shot of a number of policemen shepherding a group of dazed looking men into a police van. One of them, a bald man in a crumpled black suit with a pair of cracked shades, was screaming at the top of his lungs, "I swear! It was a kid! The Government's got kids with guns on the streets! I swear it! You've gotta believe me! I swear! It was gonna kill me!"

"And on other news, an update just came in on the Kyoto prosthetic body part replacement research centre incident. It appears the police have finally traced a survivor who was unable to disclose any information on the matter due to his currently shell-shocked state. Doctors have attributed his condition to severe trauma…" the anchorwoman continued.

"D…demon….d…demon…Agency…the agency...break…seal…lab…fire…angel… wing… black…" Hinata saw the the man shown on TV as she walked past the living room, muttering with unfocused eyes as the doctors tried to question him. There was something about the man that intrigued her for some reason.

Her train of thought was suddenly cut short as an arm wrapped around her neck forcefully from behind. Her bath things fell with a clatter to the floor as by pure reflex her elbow shot upwards in retaliation. Her counterattack was cut short by a well placed hand.

"Oneechan! Ohayo-gozaimasu!" a cheerful voice said from behind her. Hinata suddenly relaxed and looked around.

"Ohayo, Mikuru-chan." Hinata smiled as she dislodged the over-excited arm around her neck. "Aren't you a bit too hyper for this time of the morning?"

"It's a really good morning, oneechan! Konno-san even said ohayo to me this morning!" She said happily as she danced around Hinata. Mikuru was, for the lack of a better description, built to be hyper, with long slender limbs, a small sporty body, with neck length dark red hair topped off with a cute white kitty cap. She was just a year younger than Hinata but she's come to call her Oneechan anyway.

"I wonder if that is really something to celebrate, Mikuru-chan. Doesn't she say ohayo every morning anyway?" Hinata asked as she picked up her bath things and proceeded into the changing room.

"No…not really…she always seems so grumpy around me…" Mikuru said, looking up at the ceiling in thought. "Maybe she has perpetual hangovers…" she suggested, wearing her cute 'serious' look as she followed Hinata in. She hadn't really brought her bath kit but seeing as her oneechan had decided to take a bath, she just whipped a spare towel off a shelf and joined her anyway.

"I really doubt that…" Hinata smiled down at the child as she opened the door to the baths. Speak of the devil…

Mitsune was lying back in the hot spring, a cool can of beer sitting on the edge beside her. She looked up as she noticed Hinata and Mikuru enter. Her already narrow eyes narrowed even further.

Naru, who was going through some flash cards beside Mitsune, suddenly registered the sudden drop in temperature and looked up. Suddenly, Mitsune got up, wrapped her towel around herself, and walked straight past Hinata and Mikuru without a word.

"err…Mitsune?" Naru asked, wondering at Mitsune's strange behaviour, before shrugging and gesturing at Hinata and Mikuru to come into the bath.

----------------------

Present day, Keitaro's room…

"Yes…yes…are you sure? The title is 'Love Hina'. Are you positive that's the title? OK…the address? Right…right…ok…I'll be there first thing this afternoon…make sure nothing happens to it, ok? I want that book, no matter what it takes. Yes, thanks." Keitaro tapped the red button on his cell and exhaled a breath of mixed relief and frustration. He scratched his head as circled something on one of the pieces of paper jumbled on his low table.

"Come in." He said, hearing a quick series of raps on his door.

"Ohayo, sempai." A cheerful voice said. Keitaro looked around and found Lee Davis standing at the door. "Heard the boss was really pleased." He said as he came into the room. "Don't mind me coming in, do you?"

"No, no. Please. Take a seat." Keitaro said, moving a pile of papers aside to make space.

"Well well…someone's been busy." Lee remarked, nodding at the pile of paper, maps, and phone directories strewn across the room. "Hell, did you sleep last night?"

"How's Mikuru-chan doing?" Keitaro said, ignoring Lee's question. On the surface Lee may look like a simple, laid back kind 14 year-old. His messy black hair, relaxed and open expression, and relaxed casual demeanor, which was heavily reflected by the way he dressed, only strengthened the impression. But Keitaro knew this kid was one to be reckoned with.

"She's getting along fine. Damned conditioning's thrown off almost all her coordination...but she's already recovered most of her basic movement functions within the past 3 months." Lee said, sitting down. "They really should lay back on the initial conditioning…it isn't like we can't teach them manually, y'know. Mikuru-chan was almost labeled a failure." Lee gestured in a frustrated manner.

"Hmmm…" Keitaro nodded. "Well, your hard work's paid off, hasn't it. Mikuru-chan's all cheerful and hyper now. She's practically bouncing around."

"Well…yeah. I think I'm going to lay off any further conditioning. I mean, I think she's fine the way she is." Lee said, looking down. "How's Hinata? I mean, she injured her arm a few weeks ago, didn't she?"

"Oh…she's fine. No problems at all." Keitaro sighed. He was still rather concerned about Hinata's condition, especially after she collapsed in the train the day before.

"I guess she didn't have that many bugs to iron out in the first place." Lee said. "Seriously though, sempai, why've they gotta be kids?"

"I dunno, Lee…I dunno…" Keitaro sighed again and closed his eyes. The day he first met Hinata, he never thought everything would end up this way.

------------------

6 months ago, in the Social Welfare Agency's Medical Wing…

Keitaro was ready to bet her eyes were most probably bright blue. He looked around and aimed a questioning look at his boss.

His boss just gestured at the girl and said, "She's one of the special patients we're taking care of. She's lost her memory, so it's your task to take care of her for some time. You know, get her used to everyday life, teach her things, get her to see the outside world, and, most importantly, report to us when she recognizes anything or if anything goes wrong. You know, some people may be a bit unstable after a bout of amnesia..." He said. "Oh, she's forgotten her name too, so you'd better give her a name."

"Err…me?" Keitaro asked.

"Yeah…she has no parents or any relatives, so you might as well." Raphael said. "She'll be up soon, so you can talk to her and name her then. We'll leave you two alone." He said, as he and the secretary left him alone in the room with the girl.

"Err…a name?" Keitaro asked himself. "What a weird job…and…hey, I forgot to ask him, how come she looks so much like the girl I described last week?" He wondered out loud, as he approached the girl. Everything about her was just as he had described.

'She's…cute…' Keitaro thought to himself as he leaned in and watched her sleeping face. She had a slightly round, soft face, with what could only be described as a cute nose. Her eyebrows were well defined, a shade darker than her hair, which was almost snow white. "err….what should I name her?" He wondered out loud.

Her eyes opened slowly as she looked around before getting up. She held onto her blanket as she got up. Keitaro blushed slightly, realizing that the girl wasn't wearing anything under the blankets. 'Thank God she's holding that blanket up…'

"Hmmm?" she mumbled drowsily. It took her a while to register Keitaro's presence. "Umm…anou…" Her voice was rather quiet, yet peaceful and comforting to the ears.

"Hi, err…my name's Urashima Keitaro. You can just call me Keitaro." Keitaro smiled, taking a seat on the bed. He looked into her eyes and found that her irises were…a blazing red. 'Was that natural?' Keitaro thought to himself.

"Umm…Urashima…Keitaro-sama" She repeated after him.

"So…do you remember your name?" Keitaro asked.

"Umm…anou…" She cocked her head to one side, her face screwing up in concentration as she seemed to try and remember something long forgotten.

"Well, don't worry about it. You may have suffered a bit of amnesia." Keitaro smiled. "I'll give you a name for now, ok? Umm…let's make it Hinata, shall we?"

The girl smiled slightly and nodded, seemingly not worried over having lost her memory.

"Hinata huh? He's a bit on the traditional side, isn't he?" Raphael asked, looking in on the scene from the other side of a large one way mirror that looked in on the room. Neither the girl nor Keitaro noticed that they were being watched. As far as they were concerned, the window was just an oversized mirror.

"Are you sure he's fit for the job?" Another man asked.

"He's perfect for it, for a variety of reasons." Raphael said. "but we'll see how he does after 2 weeks." The watched as Keitaro asked the girl a number of questions regarding her past. She merely shook her head at each question, further confirming her loss of memory.

"So…you don't remember that either, huh?" Keitaro smiled understandingly. "Don't worry, when we go out later, I'm sure you'll recognize something."

"Excuse me?" A voice asked from the direction of the door. Keitaro and Hinata looked around at the nurse who had poked her head around the door. "The doctor has approved of her discharge from the clinic. She can leave as soon as you're ready." She announced.

"Yeah, thanks." Keitaro said, bowing slightly. "Umm...can you please help her get dressed? And I guess we'll have to find her something to wear as well…"

"Don't worry about that. We've prepared something for her." The nurse said, walking in, a pile of garments in her hands.

"You could buy her more clothes later and charge it to the agency. For now, you're allowed to take her home." The secretary said, walking into the ward. "Just remember to report to us if she recognizes anything. Also, don't forget to take her back here in two weeks. We'll also discuss your contract extension then."

"Yeah, thanks." Keitaro said, leaving the room. "errr, Hinata, I'll leave you to change, ok?" He said, looking back at Hinata, who had partially climbed out of the bed. "Ah…sorry…" Keitaro blushed, closing the door behind him. "Sigh…babysitting again…I guess I'm fated for these kind of jobs…" He sighed, remembering his last babysitting assignment from Seta.

-------------------------

Present Day, Hinata Sou Living Room…

"Hinata-chan?" Keitaro poked his head around a corner and looked into the living room. "Oh…Sarah-chan!" Keitaro called out as he noticed the small blonde haired girl crouching by a sofa. She jumped and whirled around in surprise before slowly backing away towards the wall. Keitaro caught a brief glimpse of what seemed like a heavy bound book just before it disappeared behind Sarah's back.

"Uhh…Sarah-chan?" Keitaro was a bit worried about Sarah-chan too, actually. She had been acting very strangely lately. A lot stranger than she normally is. "Eh…did you see Hinata-chan, by any chance?"

"N…no…haven't seen her." Sarah shook her head uneasily. Her eyes were darting all over the room, seemingly afraid of something.

"Where's Suu-chan. You normally hang out with her, don't you?" Keitaro asked brightly, making a brave stab at a conversation. In actual fact, there had been a sharp decline in Suu-Sarah pranks after the incident 6 months ago, though lately it seemed like they've started to make new attempts, especially after Mikuru arrived.

"Oh…she's…busy. I…I gotta go. Uhh…bye!" She ran past Keitaro and up the stairs.

"What's up with her?" Keitaro wondered to himself as he walked over to where he had seen Sarah crouching. "Huh?" he came to a sudden halt as he noticed what seemed like white powder. There seemed like there was an attempt at a hasty clean up but lots of the powder remained unwept. In some areas Keitaro could just make out remains of what seemed like lines and curves. Just as Keitaro was cautiously extending a hand to touch the powder, a cheerful voice called out behind him.

"Keitaro-sempai!" Keitaro whirled around. He had managed to get a small sample of the powder on his index finger. He cautiously rubbed it against his thumb and found the texture to be very similar to…

'Chalk?' Keitaro wondered to himself. In front of him stood Hinata in her usual simple blue collared white blouse, white vest, and matching white skirt.

"Were you looking for Hinata, sempai?" Hinata asked, looking straight up into his eyes as if awaiting orders.

"Yes. Yes, I was." Keitaro said, nodding, wiping his finger on the back of his shirt. "Uhh…we have to go out somewhere this afternoon. It'll be a short stop but have your violin ready."

"Hai, wakarimashta." Hinata said, straightening up to attention.

"We'll go out somewhere afterwards. It's only a bit of business to take care of." Keitaro said, turning around. "But don't let your guard down."

A few minutes later saw the two of them walking down the stairs of Hinata Sou. Keitaro on the right in his black vest, white shirt, and jeans. Hinata on the left with her violin case slung over one shoulder.

The bright sun shone brightly overhead. Hinata couldn't help but remembering the first memory she ever had. It was as if her entire life started at that moment. The moment she first met Keitaro…

---------------------------------

6 months ago, in front of the Social Welfare Agency building…

"Right. Best of luck, Urashima. Take good care of her, all right?" Raphael said. "Take care, Hinata. Listen to Urashima, ok?" He said to Hinata. Hinata nodded at him. "Good girl." He said, patting her on the head.

"Sir…I'm just wondering…" Keitaro asked, scratching the back of his head with one hand. His other hand was securely around Hinata's.

"Yes, Urashima?" Raphael asked.

"Did you choose me because I added babysitting to my job resume?" Keitaro asked, slightly interested.

"Well…partially, Urashima, partially…in fact, that was of small significance. Well, good day to you. Remember, two weeks." He said, turning around and leaving Keitaro and Hinata in the driveway. The secretary gave them one last smile before following her boss.

"Umm…well…I guess it's just you and me, now, isn't it?" Keitaro smiled down at Hinata. Hinata nodded and tightened her grip around Keitaro's hand, as if afraid to be parted from him. "Ok then, let's go." They both set off down the driveway towards the road.

"Well, I guess our first stop will be home…err…my home. We'll just leave my stuff there, then we'll go out somewhere, ok?" Keitaro said in the bus. Hinata had stuck her face to the window, fascinated by the passing scenery.

"Anou…Urashima-sama…there're so many people…" Hinata said, looking back at Keitaro with an inquiring look.

"Oh, off course. We're in the city, after all." Keitaro explained. "City's are full of people. It's only natural." Keitaro was surprised to find that it was actually quite difficult to explain such simple terms such as cities.

"…so many buildings too…" Hinata said in awe. She sat back in her seat while still staring out the window. "The sun…Hinata knows it's the sun…but Hinata doesn't remember ever seeing it before…Hinata knows that's a tree too…and those are cars…but Hinata can't remember…" Hinata said, looking around at Keitaro again. Keitaro decided that her way of referring to herself sounded quite cute and that he'll just put off teaching her otherwise.

"I guess that's what amnesia's like. But you'll get your memory back soon, I promise. Then we can find your family and friends." Keitaro said, reassuringly.

"Family …" Hinata looked up at Keitaro and gave him one of the loneliest looks he's ever seen.

Keitaro smiled. "I'll always be there for you, so don't worry, all right? For now, I'll be your family."

"Thank you…Urashima-sama." She gave Keitaro a tight hug around the waist.

"And you've got to stop calling me Urashima-sama. Call me Keitaro." Keitaro said, blushing. But he felt he had to comfort the girl somehow. He decided to just stroke her hair as gently as he could. 'There's a lot of getting used to to be done…' he sighed inwardly.

"Hai…Wakarimashta…anou…Ke…Ke…Ura…shima-sama?" Hinata stammered, looking up into Keitaro's eyes.

"Never mind." Keitaro sighed.

-----------------------

Present Day, Mitsune's room…

"Motoko sure has been away for a long time…have you heard anything from her?" Naru asked, sipping a bit of her tea while mentally criticizing the state of Mitsune's room. Mitsune, off course, knew that cleanliness was next to Godliness. Being an atheist, that was exactly why she avoided it.

"No…not really." Mitsune replied, flipping the page of her newspaper. The front page bore the headlines, 'Six senior parliament members and 7 foreign diplomats disappeared or killed in 4 months. Police baffled.'

"Things have been really hectic in Japan, hasn't it?" Naru pressed on, trying to get a conversation going. "With all the left wing political uprisings…socialist terrorist attacks…the missing politicians…"

"Yes…and it all began exactly 5 months ago…" Mitsune lowered her newspaper slightly to look Naru in the eye. "Exactly when all these strange things started happening."

Naru sighed in response. "Leave it, Mitsune. Shinobu's already gone. There's a certificate to prove it. There's even a grave, a gravestone, and a coffin. Ghosts do not exist."

"Explain it then!" Mitsune half-shrieked. "Explain everything that's happened in the past 5 months. Explain what I've seen. What you've seen. What Sarah and Suu have seen!"

"Illusions. We're just tired. The shock of losing Shinobu must have weighed heavily on our subconscious. That's why we start seeing things." Naru shook her head with frustration.

"So now you're saying we've all gone simultaneously potty!" Mitsune asked incredulously.

"Look. All I'm saying that you've got to let it rest. Besides, the death of 13 politicians and all these terrorist attacks have nothing to do with it." Naru said, placing her cup on the table with a thump to emphasize her view.

"I don't know…and I don't like those three new tenants either…I mean…Hinata and Mikuru don't even have a background for heaven's sake." Mitsune said, standing up and pacing around the room.

"I think you're developing paranoia, Mitsune…besides, that's what you call amnesia. You're not supposed to have a background. You've forgotten it." Naru tried to reason with her.

"We'll see. We'll see." Mitsune said, sitting back down. "I've got a feeling…a real bad feeling…"

"Paranoia…" Naru sighed under her breath.

---------------------

Present day, at the foot of the stairs to Hinata Sou…

"You're probably wondering where we're going." Keitaro said. They were waiting under the shade of a tree for the tram that would take them to the local train station. Hinata looked up at him and cocked her head to one side with an expression of polite interest.

"It's a small place downtown somewhere. I don't think you're going to need the violin case…but just in case." Keitaro said. Hinata nodded silently. "Also, please don't do anything rash unnecessarily. I don't want you hurting your arm like last time." Keitaro said gravely. Hinata nodded yet again, though her expression grew somber.

"The agency knows nothing about this. Please don't tell anyone where we're going and what we're about to do. It's strictly our business only." Keitaro said, looking down at Hinata. Hinata nodded again, this time more vigorously.

"Well…about where we're going…" Keitaro sighed. "Well…remember that time I asked you if you believed in second chances?"

Hinata's mind raced back to her first day in Hinata-Sou, 6 months ago.

--------------------------

6 months ago, Right in front of the Hinata Sou…

"It's…so big…" Hinata gasped in awe as she shielded her eyes against the bright noon sunlight to get a better view of the Hinata Sou. She, as many others before her, had paused at the top of the long flight of stairs up the Hinata Sou to take in the splendour of the Hinata Sou for the first time.

"It's called the Hinata Sou." Keitaro said. "This'll be your home, at least for the next 2 weeks." He opened the door and called out, "Tadaima!"

"Anou…why did you shout just now?" Hinata asked curiously.

"Oh? It's to tell everyone in the house that we're home." Keitaro explained, taking off his shoes and placing it on the shoe rack. Hinata copied his actions exactly.

"But why do we have to tell everyone?" Hinata asked, in a quiet tone.

"Because…" Keitaro was suddenly at a loss. Why do they do that? "I guess…er…it's just good manners to let others know you're home." Keitaro shrugged.

"Oh…" Hinata slowly wandered about slightly, while staying within a 3 meter radius of Keitaro.

"You can go and explore if you like." Keitaro said, gesturing around him. "It's your home, after all."

"Honto?" She asked, cocking her head to one side. "But…will you come with Hinata?"

"I'll just deposit your stuff in your room then we can go." Keitaro smiled, starting up the stairs. "I guess everyone's gone out…I'll introduce you to the others when they get back." Hinata followed close behind while looking frantically about, afraid to miss any details.

"You've got a choice of rooms, actually. You can use any unoccupied room you like here." Keitaro said. Hinata looked about and wandered off a bit. She walked on by herself a bit, seemingly curious. Keitaro paused for a moment at the top of the stairs as he watched Hinata go down the corridor. She suddenly paused in front of a door.

"Who's…room is this?" She asked, pointing at the door.

"Oh…that's…" Keitaro looked down. "It belonged to an old friend…" Keitaro sighed. "But she's gone now. It's empty. You can have it, if you like."

"Ummm…anou…no thanks…If it's all right…Hinata wants to sleep close to you." Hinata said, returning to Keitaro's side.

"Well…err…" Keitaro scratched the back of his head. On one hand, he wanted to get her settled and comfortable as soon as possible. On the other hand, the girls would kill her if they found out he was letting a little girl sleep in his room. "I guess…it's no problem, but only for a little while, ok?" He decided he'd be able to let her sleep there until the other girls return.

Hinata gave him a small smile. He smiled back and held out his hand. She happily grasped it and together they walked down the hall towards Keitaro's room. "I'll be back in a second, ok?" He rushed into his room. Hinata waited outside as a number of scuffles, bangs, and crashes sounded from inside the room. After a few moments, the doors opened once again to reveal a slightly haggard Keitaro holding a welcome mat. He placed in on the floor outside his room gestured grandly at the door. "Well, here we are. Home sweet home." He said. Hinata looked about with interest before walking over to the balcony.

"…everything's so green…" Hinata said. "Hinata knows what forests are…but Hinata doesn't remember ever seeing anything this beautiful before…" She said in awe as she took in the green scenery.

"Ok then, do you want to go out? We can go out anytime you want." Keitaro offered. "We've got to get you some extra clothes and everything."

"Anou…if it's ok, Hinata wants to just…" She trailed away as she continued to stare at the scenery.

"Ok then, I understand. I'll go down and get some snacks, ok? Just stay on this floor. You can look around the other rooms around here, if you want." Keitaro said, leaving the room.

"Wakarimashta…" Hinata answered suddenly, turning around to face Keitaro, her long snow white blonde hair flowed out with the wind.

"Umm…no need to be so formal. Uhh…at ease." Keitaro smiled at her.

"Hai, wakarimashta." She said, before taking a deep breath as if suddenly released from something oppressive. Keitaro watched her for a moment as she turned back to watch the scenery before shrugging and leaving the room.

Keitaro gave out a breath of satisfaction as he closed the door behind him. It seemed like Hinata would be an easy girl to handle. He decided that he liked the job after all. It wasn't difficult or demanding at all. Off course, he cared for Hinata beyond his job, just as he cared for anyone, but it was a good job nonetheless. If he could get paid for helping people, then all the better.

"Oh…all the rooms are connected by the balcony…" Hinata thought to herself, looking down the balcony. She slowly took a few steps down the balcony, looking in at the rooms she passed. "…wasn't this that room?" She finally reached room 201 again from the balcony side. She cautiously opened the door and took a step inside. It felt slightly chilly in the room for some reason.

"So…this belonged to Urashima-sama's friend…" Hinata whispered, looking about. She was naturally curious about everything, but she was particularly fascinated by this dark room.

"Hey…" a voice said, accompanied by the abrupt sliding of the door. Hinata whirled around and faced the door.

"Why are you in here?" The voice said. A figure walked into the room and faced Hinata.

"I…I'm sorry…I didn't realize I wasn't supposed to be in here…anou… Urashima-sama said I could explore a bit. He even said I could have it, if I wanted…" Hinata tried to explain as best she could. Unfortunately, being a person with no memories whatsoever, she was as perceptive as Helen Keller when it came to interpersonal skills.

Something within her forced her to suddenly start using first person pronouns instead of her intimate third person self-referrals. It was as if some strange instinct told her to do so in front of anyone other than Keitaro. Why, she didn't know.

"What?" The figure said, her voice rising. "This room…no one's allowed to come in here…it's…" The figure stepped forwards. Hinata, out of reflex, stepped backwards towards the light streaming in through the balcony doors. The light partially lit up her face as she reached the light.

The figure suddenly stopped and gasped. "Sh…Shinobu-chan?"

"Anou…" Hinata withdrew a bit more into the light, revealing more of her face. Her snow blonde hair shone bright under the light as the light fell full on her face. "Umm…my name's Hinata…"

"Oh…Gomenasai…" The figure stepped into the light. It was a dark skinned girl with a sullen face and a blank, empty stare. "I…I didn't realize. But still, you shouldn't come in here."

"Sorry. I'll leave now." Hinata said, turning to leave.

"Wait…what was your name again?" The girl asked.

Hinata turned around and said, "Hinata."

"Oh…my name's Suu…" The girl said. "If…If you need anything, my room's up the stairs." She offered, before turning away. "umm…by the way…welcome to Hinata Sou…"

"Anou…Arigatou…" Hinata said as the door closed behind the girl. She herself turned around towards the balcony once again and left. She solemnly closed the door behind her and bowed slightly at the door before leaving.

"Oh…Hinata-chan. I've been wondering where you could've disappeared to." Keitaro said, back at the room. "So, done exploring?" He asked, offering her a plate of cookies.

"Umm." She nodded. "May I?" She asked, reaching out for a cookie.

"Off course. Go ahead."

"Arigatou." She nibbled at her cookie as she watched Keitaro's face.

They remained quiet for a few moments before Keitaro finally asked, "Hinata…do you believe in second chances?"

To be continued….

Thanks again for reading.


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